How to watch Poldark abroad

Poldark has been setting pulses racing in the UK and the USA since it first hit the screens in 2015. It has been one of the BBC’s standout period drama hits of recent times and in this article, we will explain how you can watch Poldark abroad using a VPN.

British and American viewers have been spellbound by the show for three full seasons now. Some love watching for the gripping historical drama, others are enchanted by the spectacular Cornish scenery, and many have fallen for hunky leading man Aidan Turner.

Season four is about to begin in the UK. But it will not be screened in the USA until late September. But, if you want to see all the latest action first, we are going to explain exactly how you can.

Watch Poldark outside the UK

Season four of the new BBC adaptation of Poldark is about to begin on BBC One in the UK. It will also be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and subsequently made available to watch on-demand too.

Poldark is only broadcast in a handful of other countries and even viewers in those countries will have to wait longer for the fourth season to hit the air. It will not air on PBS in the USA until 30th September. So, many international viewers will be hoping to use the iPlayer to catch the new season first.

But the BBC iPlayer only makes its streams available to internet users in the UK. And the BBC has gone out of its way to try and stop people outside the UK from using the service by employing geo-restriction technology.

However, it is easy to get around geo-restrictions using a VPN. The BBC has tried to block VPNs to stop this workaround by blocking VPN access to the iPlayer, but they have only been partially successful.

Some VPNs cannot access the iPlayer, but many others can. So, as long as you sign up with one of those, you can watch season four of Poldark live or on-demand, wherever you are located.

How to watch Poldark abroad– a step-by-step guide

There are two recommended VPN providers that can currently still access the BBC iPlayer. They are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. You can sign up to any of these and stream Poldark, no matter where you are located.

In this simple step-by-step guide, we will explain how to do it. We have used NordVPN as an example, but the process will be almost identical if you opt for ExpressVPN too.

Sign up with NordVPN by clicking on one of the links on this page. Then just follow the simple onscreen instructions to sign up.

Next, visit the App section of their website and download the correct app for your device. You can also search for the app in your app store.

Once you have installed the app, log-in to NordVPN using the account details you were given in Step 1.

Connect to a UK-based server. Any will do, but we usually suggest you choose the one closest to your actual location for optimum speeds.

Now visit the BBC iPlayer website and enjoy the new season of Poldark. You will need to create an iPlayer account to use the service, but you can use any details to do this.

When is Poldark on?

The first episode of season four of Poldark will be broadcast on Sunday 10th June. It will air at 9pm (BST) UK time, so viewers overseas will need to check their time differences if they want to stream it live.

It will not be broadcast in the USA on Masterpiece on PBS until September 30th at 9pm (ET). So, US viewers will have to wait more than three months to see the latest episodes unless they use a VPN.

Poldark is set in the late 18th century and tells the story of Ross Poldark, a red coat who returns to Cornwall following the American War of Independence. It is not the happy homecoming he had envisaged, however, as he finds his father has died and his childhood sweetheart is betrothed to someone else.

It is based on the Poldark novels written by Winston Graham, and season four is reported to have been based on the sixth book in his seven-book series. In this book, Poldark heads to London where he claims the parliamentary seat of rival George Warleggan.

This means that there will be spectacular views of 18th century London as well as Cornwall.

The reasons for this development are rooted in a catastrophic event in the first episode of the new series, but writers have kept the details of that a closely guarded secret.

Fans of the characters romantic escapades need not worry either. The season three cliffhanger, which saw Poldark kissing Elizabeth in the church, while his now wife, Demelza locked lips with Hugh Armitage, will continue deep into season four too.

Recap: How to watch Poldark abroad

The new season of Poldark promises to deliver everything the first three seasons managed and more. It is essential viewing for many, but if you are outside of the UK, you will not be able to see the latest episodes for some time. In the USA, you will need to wait more than three months.

But not if you follow the advice in this guide. Simply sign up for either NordVPN or ExpressVPN, and you will be able to stream all the latest episodes of Poldark live or on-demand, no matter where in the world you are.

About The Author

David is VPNCompare's News Editor. Anything going on in the privacy world and he's got his eye on it. He's also interested in unblocking sports allowing him to watch his favourite football team wherever he is in the world. Away from writing, he enjoys reading and politics. He is currently learning Mandarin too... slowly.